Multimedia entertainment on mobile stations (MSs) or subscriber stations (SSs) is a key driver in influencing the demand for higher data rates and improved user services. To address multimedia entertainment in next generation wireless systems, different standard bodies have optimized the transmission of multimedia broadcast services. In 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), the multimedia content is carried on Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS). In 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2), multimedia content is transmitted using Multicast Broadcast Multicast Service (BCMCS).
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16e standard describes Multicast and Broadcast Service (MBS), which is a downlink only offering that provides an efficient method of simultaneously transmitting multimedia content to a group of users. MBS saves resources by allocating the same radio waveform to all users registered to the same service instead of allocating as many radio waveforms as there are users. Moreover, in a multi-base station (multi-BS) MBS system, MSs registered to an MBS service can receive MBS information from any base station (BS) in a particular MBS zone without being registered with a specific BS in that zone.
The IEEE 802.16m standard, currently under development, is an enhanced update to the existing IEEE 802.16e standard. The enhanced version of MBS in IEEE 802.16m is termed Enhanced-Multicast Broadcast Service (or E-MBS).